This crispy chicken salad is the perfect mix of healthy and crave-worthy! A fresh bed of romaine lettuce with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and avocado is mixed with breaded chicken strips and a homemade honey mustard salad dressing. I love how quick and easy this salad is to make with baked chicken tenders!
My trick to getting my picky kids to eat lettuce and veggies? I add some crispy breaded chicken strips to a salad, and suddenly they’re all ears! It makes me a little more excited to eat a salad too, especially with my honey mustard dressing on top.
What’s in this Breaded Chicken Salad Recipe?
- Chicken Strips: Use fresh or frozen breaded chicken strips for convenience– just pop them in the oven to bake!
- Lettuce: You can use romaine, iceberg, green leaf, or red leaf lettuce.
- Cucumber: This adds a super fresh twist to the salad.
- Cherry Tomatoes: These add a bright and slightly sweet flavor.
- Red Onion: Red onion adds a bit of bite, which balances out the other ingredients nicely.
- Avocados: Avocado slices add a creamy texture into the mix.
- Honey Mustard Dressing: My homemade dressing is a combination of real honey, Dijon mustard, mayo, apple cider vinegar, salt, olive oil, and garlic. For convenience, you can just use a bottle of store-bought dressing.
Variations to Try
I love using breaded chicken strips to make this salad quick, easy, and crunchy. But you can swap in a non-breaded or skinless chicken tender instead. Or if you want to make something fresh, grilled chicken strips work too.
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How to Store
For best results, store components of this crispy chicken salad separately.
- The baked chicken tenders will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- The chopped salad components will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- The dressing will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Crispy Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 pound store-bought breaded chicken strips
- 1 head romaine lettuce chopped (about 6-8 cups)
- 1 cup chopped English cucumber
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup sliced red onion
- 2 avocados sliced
For the Honey Mustard Dressing:
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
Instructions
- Bake the chicken strips according to the package directions, about 20 minutes. Once they are cool enough to handle, slice them into bite-sized pieces.1 pound store-bought breaded chicken strips
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until creamy.¼ cup honey, 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, ¼ cup olive oil, 1 clove garlic
- In a large bowl, toss to combine the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, and avocado.1 head romaine lettuce, 1 cup chopped English cucumber, 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, ½ cup sliced red onion, 2 avocados
- Divide the salad between bowls and top with chicken and dressing.
Notes
- You can use homemade chicken tenders instead of store-bought.
- You can use iceberg, green leaf, or red leaf lettuce in place of the romaine.
- Feel free to mix up the chopped veggies to suit your tastes. I like peppers, carrots, and corn!
- You can use store-bought honey mustard dressing instead of making your own.
- This salad is also delicious with other store-bought salad dressings like ranch, a vinaigrette, or honey bbq.
- Feel free to add croutons or nuts to up the crunch factor!
How to Make Crispy Chicken Salad Step by Step
Bake the Chicken Strips: Arrange 1 pound of breaded chicken strips on a baking sheet, and cook according to the package directions, about 20 minutes. Once they’re cool enough to handle, slice them into bite-sized pieces.
Make the Salad Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup of honey, 3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise, ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar, 1½ teaspoons of kosher salt, ¼ cup of olive oil, and 1 clove of minced garlic.
Toss the Salad Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine 6-8 cups of chopped romaine lettuce, 1 cup of chopped cucumber, 1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes, and ½ cup of sliced red onion.
Add the Avocado: Add 2 sliced avocados to the salad bowl.
Finish: Divide the salad between bowls, and top each with the breaded chicken strips and honey mustard dressing to serve.
You are the best, I call you my Chicken Lady what more can I say Thank you.
Oh my gosh, I love that!